Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

I • -= ~ &:; "" W 00 r-O'> ~ .an M 0.. < :rhe Ryin' Freckle Jeff Wa rd tromped the Race of Champions. - ~ 2-ride r field in the Yamaha ItalJet sponsored a Jr. Cycle Race of Champions on little 50cc ItalJet stockers. Jon Jon Belisle leads the pack here. In beautiful formation. Jeff Ward 131 makes a fi rst moto, mid-air pass on Steve Schmitz 1111as Scott Burnworth follows. ~ , .,il q Starting the Yamaha Race of Champions provided a t ight fi rst turn pack. w ith Steve Sc~,~ 1111 pu lling the holeshot. j Ward wins 'Race of Champions at World Mini '.,a: Grand Prix OOJ 1'- ~n·. bH By Brian George TRA BUC O CANYO N , CA, MAR . 26 • In his last appearance on a minicycle, the Flyin' Freckle, Jeff Ward came out to Racing World with only three hours of practice on a minibike and ran away with the main event of the National Minicyc1e Association's World Mini Grand Prix. Easte r k d b ht id wee en TOUg m~y n ers from a ll over the United St a tes 8 and as far away as Engla nd . Mexico and Australia . Yamaha sponsored the three-mote event . with all competitors riding stock YZ80E machines . Mounts were switched after each moto - to ensure a n equal ride for everyone. As the first moto got underway . Steve Schmitz, J eff Ward and Scott Burnworth flaunted their C~lifo~ia knowledge of the course by J?mpmg out to an early lead . Schmitz and Ward set up a fierce battle for the lead as Bu rn worth fou ght a sticky engine and held on to third . As Erik Kehoe entered the battle in fourth , the pack tightened up. Coming off a steep dropoff, Schmitz . Ward , Burnworth and Kehoe entered flight in a formation the U.S . Ai r Fo rce would have admired. W hen the quartet la nded. Ward too k Schmitz by su rprise and out- flew him . ta king over t he lead. As the moto progressed . Burnwort h didn't, His engine seized on the fourth lap . giving the fourth spot to Oklahoma's Kenny Caster. When the checkers flew . Ward had stretched out a co mfortable lead on Schmitz, Kehoe and Cas ter. Br ingi ng in fif th was Ph il Larson of Washington , followed by Scooter Stafford out of Lo uisiana and Danny Coyle from Alabama . Continuing his domination into the second round was Ward again . but this time he had challenge only from the ga te to the first turn. Schm itz came around in second, but at the end of the front '; str a ig h t . Ward was al ready beginning to pull away. Coming from Australia to ride was Derrim Porter, now in third . with Phil Larson and Burnworth on his derriere . Larson a nd . Bu rn wo rt li both gOt around Port er on the first lap, then Larson proceeded to ta ke over second I on the third time a rou nd . It t:;:'k Bu rn worth a nother la p before he too put Schmi tz be hind , then set after Larson.

• Cover